REPORT: 2009 GMC Terrain to replace Pontiac Torrent in US
by Alex Nunez on Dec 16th 2007 at 3:56PM 
Click image to enlarge
UPDATE: The 2009 GMC Terrain will be a new, Jeep Liberty-sized vehicle and not the Middle East version with the same name shown above. Details here.
With the Torrent dropped from Pontiac's long-term plans as the brand returns its focus to performance-oriented cars, GM appears to already know how and where it'll replace the small crossover. The answer was apparently unveiled back in November when GMC introduced the Terrain in Kuwait. Like the Saturn Vue, the GMC Terrain is essentially a badge-engineered Opel Antara; and it's reportedly coming to the US, according to an Automotive News report that's set to hit the wires tomorrow. Due as a 2009 model, the Terrain will be GMC's first foray into the compact
[Source: All Cars All The Time]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
asedi kyfugo 6:34AM (2/16/2008)
man i was hoping that all of gm's brands cept chevy, cadillac, and saturn (gmc, pointiac, buick, & saab) would shrink their lineups. to like 3-5 cars. GMC already has it's yukons, acadias, & sierras. now the XUT and THIS?? i say give that vue to pontiac kuzz the only small truck GMC could need is a small pickup/crossover
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Jesse 3:30PM (4/23/2008)
I think Gmc and Chev should bring back the Jimmy/Blazer as a retro version compact suv (20000$ or more), offer three engines: a 4.3, 3.5, 2.8 and we have a winner. Instead of killing the Torrent, they could use it to do this, it looks a little similar to those suvs. They should target youth, have nice sound systems, hybrid versions, mp3 jacks and lots more.
Gm needs something a lot more youthfull and sporty,
they need to bring back old school and reinvent their futur. The crossovers are not appealing when you are 20!!
I would buy it!!
Ps oldsmobile should also comeback as a retro restyle of the 70s and 80s, it could work, imagine a muscul cutlass
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BallBlaster 4:51PM (6/15/2008)
FYI...The terrain will not look anything like this picture here..I know first hand as I have seen it!!!
Jesse 12:12AM (4/23/2008)
Ps I said they should use the torrent to make a new jimmy, I meant a total redesign
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BallBlaster 5:43PM (6/15/2008)
FYI...The terrain will not look anything like this picture here..I know first hand as I have seen it!!!
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latehawk 12:12PM (4/09/2009)
The Terrain is just a copy of the Chevy Captiva from India/Korea. It started out as a Daewoo Windstorm in Korea in 2006.
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Phillip 4:09PM (12/16/2007)
"Due as a 2009 model, the Terrain will be GMC's first foray into the compact SUV segment."
So what do you call the S15 Jimmy? It was by all means, a compact SUV. On a compact truck frame to boot.
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Alex Nunez 4:18PM (12/16/2007)
Yeah, you're right. I should have called it a CUV, since that's what the thing really is (by the current standard, at least). SUV, CUV, SAV, SAC...the alphabet soup is officially ridiculous regarding what all would have simply been called SUVs before it stopped being PC.
Phillip 4:43PM (12/16/2007)
I agree about all the acronyms. It's crazy these days.
geo.stewart 5:53PM (12/16/2007)
and why isnt the crossover called a XUV and the compact called the CUV, the SUV could be a F/UV and ...
or better yet, call the XUV a jacked up station wagon and anything with 4WD and truck-level towing capability and SUV and be done with it.
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 4:19PM (12/16/2007)
I hope it doesn't end up looking like that.
Its basically a re-badged Vue, and I thought GM was straying away from re-badges.
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AfterGasoline 4:28PM (12/16/2007)
I agree; they have been doing much better lately, and doing this would just be their old way of doing things.
Moe 4:26PM (12/16/2007)
Since GMC's whole brand image is centered around the "Professional Grade" slogan, I can't see a cute-ute fitting in very well. They should've just dropped the Torrent altogether, and replaced the Equinox with the Captiva.
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psarhjinian 8:38PM (12/16/2007)
They have to keep the dealers happy, I'm guessing. I don't know about other regions, but here, Pontiac and GMC are paired and the dealerships would be crying to head office if GM dropped a model.
Personally, I think GM could fix a lot of it's model line problems if it allowed franchisees to buy any Pontiac (or Saturn--pick one and kill the other), Buick, Chevy or GMC model and made Cadillac, Saab and the Corvette premium franchises.
Alpha 4:37PM (12/16/2007)
Nah! I think this is just for the ME. GMC's popular over there. I think GMC in the US might get a TE car in a few years, if Buick doesn't get a baby-Enclave.
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Chris 4:39PM (12/16/2007)
Well, whatever the case, I like GM's strategy of putting Pontiac, GMC, and Buick all in the same dealers. It allows Pontiac to focus on performance. Pontiac shouldn't have an SUV. Frankly, neither should Buick, but if the Enclave sells, then so be it, right?
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iSpec 4:44PM (12/16/2007)
Does a rebadged Daewoo count as not rebadging?
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Rayjht 5:04PM (12/16/2007)
Sure it doesn't. I realize you were trying to be funny but the Captiva was styled by Daewoo for Chevy but the Antara\Vue was Opel designed down to the structure that Daewoo used but when the product is in different markets it does not matter. Also a CUV is car based so a Jimmy which is truck based does no count. Theta is a variant of the Elipson platform so the article is right. I sat in the new Vue redline and man it is very premium now. I guess GM needs to shore up the sales while people get use to Saturn going up market. However just as some of you said they better change it more and not pull an old GM. Oh and GM please replace the Equinox with the Captiva.
J.Crew 9:29PM (12/16/2007)
I guess a Toyota Camry makes a good rebadged Lexus ES as well...
far jr 5:08PM (12/16/2007)
This doesn't look bad. It is actually better looking IMO than the Saturn VUE, plus GM will reach more people with through GMC dealers than saturn dealers. Look at Acadia vs. Outlook.
The Chevy Captiva version isn't bad looking either. It does however have much in common with the VUE and this GMC Terrain in the looks department. I hope they keep the seven seat version when it comes to the US.
Where will production take place? Beside the VUE in Mexico? Or will the Equinox/Torrent plant be re-tooled?
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